Author's Note: Yes, I changed the title. The former one was somewhat sappy, so I decided on a new one, and I think it's better suited to the mood of the story. Yes, it was inspired by Superchick.
Also, it might seem as if Guy is somewhat OOC in this chapter. I have a tendency to write him as a serious adult instead of his set character. Apologies to everyone who will miss Guy's usual youthfulness, but I'll try to do a better job of writing his character next time.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and the song "Stand in the Rain" belongs to Superchick. I am not making any money from this page.
Read, enjoy, and review please!
Nature, Guy thought fondly while watching the sunset, was a beautiful thing.
Guy had loved and appreciated nature since he was a teenager, but this area of the Land of Fire was particularly scenic. His recently formed team had been commissioned to help repair a village ravaged by hailstorms. It was a shame that Lee and Neji were too exhausted from their hammering contest they'd held while reconstructing the town hall to join him. Tenten was around somewhere; specifically where Guy did not know, but he planned to have a talk with her about the courtesy of letting someone know where you were and when you would be there.
Moments later, Guy heard footsteps in the grass, approaching from behind him. Tenten sat down beside him on the large, flat boulder, her facial expression the living example of a sullen teenager, despite only being a preteen. She looked at Guy, then at the sunset, then back at Guy, as if trying to figure out what he found so fascinating.
"Hello Tenten-chan," Guy greeted her. She looked at him, faint surprise showing on her face that he had addressed her. Guy was perplexed. After all, the girl was sitting right next to him, did she seriously expect him to ignore her? He resisted the urge to shake his head and dismiss her polite but odd mannerisms. Perhaps he was being overly judgmental, but he was beginning to think her special file from the Academy was right, and that she was a destructive force waiting to be unleashed.
"Hello Sensei," Tenten replied. She seemed almost guarded, as if she was waiting for him to become upset with her.
Guy mentally groaned. If she was always going to be closed off and defensive, the performance of his team could not be expected to be successful. Yes, all three of his students had been potential, but potential was useless if they couldn't work together.
Guy willed himself not to display his exasperation as he asked, "Are you enjoying our visit here, Tenten-chan?"
"Yes," she replied simply without twelve-year-old met his gaze, her expression unreadable. "Sensei, do you think there's any truth to Neji's philosophy about fate?"
Guy considered her query. "You mean, do I believe that a person's life is predestined, and no matter how much that person fights against fate, it is inevitable?"
"Yes," Tenten confirmed
"No," he responded. "I think that a person makes their own destiny through their choices and actions."
Tenten studied him for a moment. "Do you believe morals are important?"
Guy had no idea where this conversation was going, but determined to forge onward anyway, he chose to reply, "Yes."
"But why do morals matter?" Tenten asked. "Let's say I'm standing at the top of a staircase, and I accidentally knock into someone, and the momentum causes them to fall down the staircase. Or I deliberately push the person down the staircase. The next day, they will have bruises, no matter if my actions were intentional or not. If morality doesn't change the outcome of the situation, what's the point?"
At that moment, Guy couldn't help but wonder exactly what Tenten's parents were like, and what had inspired this particular train of thought. Her question didn't sound like a prelude of a challenge to his views, but an honest inquiry about his thoughts on the subject of ethics.
Meaning, Guy realized with a sinking heart, that emotionally reserved as the girl was, she probably had no moral code. Wonderful.
"What do you think morals are, Tenten?" Guy asked her. It would be easier for him to form his response so she would understand if he could get her to clarify.
For the first time, the girl hesitated. Guy noted this; Tenten was normally very self-assured, albeit in a quiet way. Something about her seemed to change, and suddenly the traces of a superficial (pre)teenager were gone, replaced by a young girl who needed to be shown right from wrong.
Tenten seemed to choose her words very carefully. "I'm not sure," she responded finally. "I've always judged situations by the material gain I'll receive from my course of action. Otherwise . . ." she hesitated again and appeared to almost struggle with herself, then admitted, "Otherwise I've just imitated the moral actions of other people. I'm not sure what such actions are supposed to signify."
So that was the reason her Academy teachers had noticed something was off about her. Tenten's actions hadn't been genuine, but a mimicry of others. And now, she had no idea about why people acted in the way they did. Tenten had known the what, when, where, and how, but she didn't know the why.
That was okay. Guy would just have to teach her.
"The point of morality is to assure a person does not condemn themselves by their actions," Guy told her. "When a soldier has to kill in battle to defend their country is one thing. Killing an innocent person is another. When a person kills just for the sake of killing, they become dehumanized. They are nott quite whole anymore, as if a part of them is destroyed."
Tenten was watching him, and maybe Guy just imagined it, but he thought he saw a glimmer of comprehension in her eyes.
"As far as the rest goes . . ." Guy struggled to come up with a way to explain such as abstract concepts of right and wrong, ideas that Tenten didn't completely understand. "Picture it like karma, Tenten-chan. Treat others as you would like to be treated."
Tenten looked at him and blinked. Guy hoped that he was making some progress.
"To follow your example involving the staircase, could you tell me why a person might want to deliberately harm someone like that?"
Her facial expression didn't change, but defiance blazed in her eyes. She recognized what he was doing, and obviously didn't think much of it. But then defiance was replaced by calculation, and Guy saw a corner of her mouth tug upward in a smirk..
"Maybe that person is angry in general. Maybe that person is angry at the one they shoved down the stairs. Or maybe they want to prove that they're tough." Any trace of a smile vanished from Tenten's face as she said, "Or maybe they just want to know what it feels like to watch someone else hurt on their account."
Guy stared at Tenten. He was starting to understand why her file from the Academy said the things it did.
Tenten stared off into the sky. "Do you think that at some point in a person's life, they should just forget about morality? If they've made too many mistakes already?"
"I don't think anyone should ever give up," Guy said, watching the girl beside him. "We have free will, and we always have the opportunity to change our lives for the better."
The girl turned to glance at him. "Maybe some people have missed those opportunities. Maybe they didn't recognize those opportunities in the first place. Or perhaps they chose to let the opportunities go past."
"Then they should seize the next opportunity they see," Guy said. "The true strength of a person shows through their perseverance."
Tenten didn't reply for several moments. "Maybe the person could watch someone else as an example," she suggested. "Just to learn more about morals." Tenten offered Guy a smile, and for once, it wasn't the fabricated expression she had used on her teachers at the Academy. This time, her smile was small, but genuine.
Guy smiled back at her. "I think that would be a good idea."
Teacher and student turned their attention to the darkening sky once again. Except for the crickets chirping in the grass, it was silent. Tenten shivered. The temperature was beginning to drop now that the sun had gone down.
Tenten glanced at Guy, whose attention was still focused on the emerging stars. She rubbed her bare arms and wished she had worn a shirt with sleeves. Oh well.
A pair of arms wrapped around Guy's torso and held on tightly. Guy stared at the girl who had a death grip on his lower chest and upper stomach.
"Tenten-chan, what are you doing?"
The girl glanced up at him. "I'm cold."
And she was. Guy could feel the cold radiating from her body to his. Honestly, he didn't know how it was possible for her body temperature to be that low.
Tenten heard Guy exhale, and felt his muscles relax as he did so. The spandex didn't lie; he really was well-toned, especially his rigid ab muscles.
With one hand, Guy ruffled Tenten's hair, and used his other arm to return the embrace. He smiled.
Maybe her file from the Academy was wrong, and Tenten wasn't such a bad kid after all.